Natural Farming Inputs
Introduction to Natural Farming
LAB - Lactic Acid Bacteria
FPJ - Fermented plant juice
Seawater, Fermented Seawater, Bio Mineral Water
Vinegar
OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrient
WCA - Water Soluble Calcium
WCAP - Water Soluble Calcium Phosphate
FFJ - Fermented Fruit Juice
FAA - Fish Amino Acids
S.E.S. - Seed and Seedling Treatment
IMO to IMO2
IMO 3
IMO 4 & Liquid IMO
IMO 5
Inputs - Section 10
IMO - Cultivated Indigenous Microorganisms
Natural farming is based around creating a soil environment and healthy microbiology which enables the Microorganisms to play an important role in making quality soil for growing plants. These microorganisms can also be collected and cultured.
EnigmaVEVO - Enigma - Return To Innocence
Microorganisms have two major functions in farming
Microorganisms decompose complex organic compounds such as dead bodies of plants and animals and wastes into nutrients, making them easily absorbed by plants.
They can create compounds such as antibiotic substances, enzymes and lactic acids that can suppress various diseases and promote healthy soil conditions.
Act as a catalysis for natural chemical processes in the soil.
IMOs are used primarily to create fertile and healthy soil condition that is ideal for farming and to prevent plant diseases. In Natural Farming, IMOs are used in treatments applied to the soil in order to improve its fertility and health. By collecting and making IMO's we can create not just healthy growing media but also heal sick land and begin to restore nature at its core.
All about IMO by Chris Trump
Chris Trump - All about IMO
Cho Global Natural Farming(CGNF) - Dr. Hoon Park PDF - IMO from University of Hawaii
Indigenous Microorganisms: Grow Your Own Beneficial Indigenous Microorganisms and Bionutrients In Natural Farming
Dear Future Generations, Sorry
Gabriel Greiner - Dear Future Generations, Sorry.
About collecting IMO
Indigenous microorganisms from the environment
Natural farming promotes the use of Indigenous Microorganisms (IMOs). The microorganisms that have been living in the local area for a long time are best for farming because they are very powerful and effective.
They have survived and can survive the extreme climatic conditions of the local environment much better than artificially produced microorganisms
Microorganisms (microbes) may be cultured at any time of the year; however, avoid wet, rainy seasons.
The collection process takes approximately 7–10 days in cooler weather (Below 68°F, 20°C) and 3–4 days under warmer conditions ( above 68°F, 20°C).
Organisms that are found under the heat of the sun are largely different than those found in shaded areas such as under the bamboo trees.
Dr. Cho advocates that it is better to culture microorganisms from different areas in order to collect different kinds of microorganisms.
Beneficial microbes are highly concentrated under undisturbed forests or other vegetated areas. Combining microbes collected from multiple sites will likely result in a more robust culture.
It is also good to culture microorganisms at different weather conditions and to mix different types of microorganisms.
It will take 3 days in summer and 5 days in winter.
Black molds on the steamed rice indicate that you have exceeded the number of days.
The collected IMO should smell like yeast.
Excellent illustration and overview of collection & making of IMO 1 and 2, the videos below are more detail.
Chris Trump - How to: IMO 1 and 2 on our farm
Selecting collection sites
Collect from a variety of sources and areas, going higher up in elevation from the planting area. This works to ensure that you are collecting stronger microbiology.
Select areas in forests and fields.
Old trees
Old areas of growth.
Areas of good mycelium growth.
Collecting from sites that are not nutritionally rich is better than high nutrient areas.
This is how to collect stronger microorganisms as only the stronger microbes can survive those areas.
Collect near the roots of bamboo and leaf molds from broad leaf trees and plants.
Leaf molds showing white hypha.
Avoid places of regular human activity. Secluded areas are best.
The idea of taking from famous sites may not be an ideal location if the microbiology is not healthy and strong. Select locations for merit only.
Making of a collection box
Made of Wood or Bamboo is recommended, preferably made of cedar.
A small wooden/bamboo box, 12 x 12 x 4 inches deep.
Ensure small holes or gaps on the bottom to promote microbiology ease to rice.
Collection Box Building video
Guardeners of the Land - IMO box build
How to: IMO 1
Chris Trump - How to: IMO 1
IMO Collection Process
Fill the wooden box with 3 inches of steamed rice.
Prime the rice (optional)
Add 1ml of OHN and 2ml of FPJ
Ensure rice is not overly wet but more not quite done or harder.
Allows adequate air supply by not stuffing the rice higher than 3 inches.
Excessive moisture promotes growth of fungi that are less desirable for the intended uses.
Fill rice half way with rice.
Cover the box with white paper towel, being careful not to let the towel touch the rice.
There should be at least an inch or so of air space between the rice the paper towel.
Loosely place rice in the box ensuring not to press the rice hard into the box.
Without sufficient supply of air, the anaerobic IMOs will get collected.
Use rubber bands around the top of the box to secure the paper towel in place.
Label date and area collected.
Cover the top of the box with wire screen to prevent animals from tampering with the rice.
Top the wire with a sheet of clear plastic to protect the box from rain, and place it under trees or in another secluded area.
The box should not be in direct sunlight or water.
Cover with leaves or plastic.
Mark an area 12 inches x 8 inches in the soil and make a 2 inch pit into the soil.
Place the rice-filled wooden box in this pit, where IMOs abound, such as in a forest and/or field or at the site where many decomposed leaf molds are found. Cover the box with leaves.
Cover the box with fallen leaves from the harvest location.
Anchor the plastic sheet on all sides with small rocks to prevent it from being dislodged by wind.
Leave the box undisturbed for a minimum of 4–5 days.
After that time, check to see whether the moist rice is covered with white mold.
It will take 3 days in hot summer and 5 days during cooler time periods.
If mold growth is sparse, re-cover the box and wait an additional 2–3 days before re-checking.
If the mold is a color other than white (other colors indicate growth of less effective fungi).
Multi colors are normal and usable.
You want to more white and grey like with spider web or cotton candy growth is ideal.
Collected IMO should smell like yeast.
If rain has entered the box, the contents should be discarded and the process repeated.
Black molds on the steamed rice indicate that you have exceeded the number of days
How to make IMO2 by Chris Trump
Chris Trump - How to: IMO2
Culturing and making IMO 2
Once collected this is referred to IM01. The next step is to culture and increase the population of this collection of Indigenous Microorganisms and create IMO2.
Materials to use:
A clean clay pot (hard-fired, glazed, or terra cotta)
A wooden spoon
white paper towels
rubber bands
A large clear bowl, big enough to hold contents of rice mixture
A small food scale
A straw mat
A shovel
A composting thermometer
Raw, granulated brown sugar is advisable, but crude and unrefined sugar (jaggery) is better.
The closer the state of sugar is to nature, the better. The less process the sugar has undergone, the more effective it is. Therefore, white refined sugar is not recommended.
Wheat mill run* or, if available, mushroom growth medium waste.
Mixing Process
Tare the scale for the mixing jar.
Weigh the filled bowl and calculate the weight of the rice mass by subtracting the weight of the empty bowl from the filled bowl.
Weight out equal amounts of sugar to the amount of molded rice.
The use of sugar is used for osmotic pressure and not as a food source.
Gradually mix 1 to 1 with sugar or Jaggery.
You can mix IMO collections.
Diversity is a strength in natural farming.
This will put the microbes into a dormant state for later use.
Hand knead and massage, not smashing hard the sugar and rice until the material has the consistency of gooey molasses.
It is ok to mix in more brown sugar if the mix is too wet.
If it starts to bubble you have lost quality and will not be as effective.
This is from being too wet and it started to ferment.
Place the mixture in jar 2/3 full.
Use the wooden spoon to move the molded rice into the jar.
The 1/2 air space is necessary for the process.
Clean the top of the container with vinegar.
Cover it with paper towel secured in place with rubber bands.
Store the pot in a cool area away from direct sunlight for 7 days.
This will allow the mixture to ferment.
Working in a shaded area:
Add a small amount of water to the fermented rice mixture in a 1:500 ratio.
Then, slowly blend in wheat mill run (or used mushroom medium) until mixture is of semi-moist but not wet consistency
65–70% moisture content of the media mixture.
Place a mound of the mixture on a soil surface and cover it.
Use a tarp, straw mat or leaves, protecting it from sunlight.
Allow the microbes to propagate for 7 days.
Periodically examine the external surface of the pile for white mold growth,
monitor internal temperature of the pile with a composting thermometer so as not to exceed 122°F (50°C),
Turn the pile with a shovel (a minimum of three to four times during the week) to keep fermentation temperatures from getting too high.
When the fermentation process is finished,
internal temperature will stabilize, indicating cultivation is complete and ready to use.
Application and use
This biological soil amendment is expected to enhance soil microorganism activity. This is a concentrated inoculate.
Dilute the final product (1 to 1 by volume) with soil and incorporate this mixture into the surface soil as a topdressing for crop production,
Add it to your compost pile.
Further processing into into IMO3.
Congratulations for learning about IMO 1 & 2
Credits
EnigmaVEVO
Chris Trump
Guardeners of the Land
Gabriel Greiner
Cho Global Natural Farming(CGNF)
University of Hawaii
Gil A. Carandang Herbana Farms Burol, Calamba City Laguna, Philippines
Natural Farming Inputs
Introduction to Natural Farming
LAB - Lactic Acid Bacteria
FPJ - Fermented plant juice
Seawater, Fermented Seawater, Bio Mineral Water
Vinegar
OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrient
WCA - Water Soluble Calcium
WCAP - Water Soluble Calcium Phosphate
FFJ - Fermented Fruit Juice
FAA - Fish Amino Acids
S.E.S. - Seed and Seedling Treatment
IMO to IMO2
IMO 3
IMO 4 & Liquid IMO
IMO 5
~ A Proud Cultural Healing and Life Compilation

Natural Farming Inputs
Introduction to Natural Farming
LAB - Lactic Acid Bacteria
FPJ - Fermented plant juice
Seawater, Fermented Seawater, Bio Mineral Water
Vinegar
OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrient
WCA - Water Soluble Calcium
WCAP - Water Soluble Calcium Phosphate
FFJ - Fermented Fruit Juice
FAA - Fish Amino Acids
S.E.S. - Seed and Seedling Treatment
IMO to IMO2
IMO 3
IMO 4 & Liquid IMO
IMO 5
Inputs - Section 11
IMO 3 Cultivated Indigenous Microorganisms
IMO 3 is essentially a concentrated stock of cultivated indigenous microorganisms that is then placed into a dormancy state that can be furthered processed into liquid IMO and imo 4.
IMO 3 with Chris Trump
Chris Trump - IMO #3 (part 1) with Chris Trump.
This is a short video about the finishing/end day of IMO #3. If you using this method then this is a great little informative section on what IMO3 looks like as it finishes. By Chris Trump.
Chris Trump - How to : IMO 3 (Part 2) with Chris Trump
Materials for IMO 3
IMO2
Rice bran or similar media on which the microbes will grow
FPJ 1:500
BRV 1:500
OHN 1:1000
SW (sea or mineral water) 1:30
Humic acid 1:500
Water (non-chlorinated) approximately 1GAL/25LB
IMO 3 Method
Dilute IMO-2 with water (1:1000) and mix with rice bran or flour.
Use diluted natural farming inputs such as FPJ, FAA, OHN, plus some humic acid while adding water.
After evenly mixing with diluted IMO-2
This process is very important and must be done on a soil floor and not on a concrete floor and in a place with good ventilation.
As time passes, the temperature rises within the pile of the rice bran mixture, because it undergoes fermentation.
On a dirt floor make a heap 13-15 inches (30 to 40 cm) height, and cover it with straw, straw mat or leaf litter to prevent moisture evaporation and to provide shade from direct sunlight.
70% shade and 30% light is recommended, since it creates favorable conditions for useful microbes in paddy straw, Microorganisms such as Aspergillus’s oryzae, Bacillus subtilis, etc.
Be sure to press several spots with weights or soils over the straw,
This is due to straw being too light to be fixed on the top of the rice bran mixture.
It is best to use straw mats or straw bags (gunny bags) for covering.
The moisture level can be measured by forming a rice bran ball and twisting it.
If the moisture level is around 65 -70 % the ball can be easily divided into two halves.
However, it is better to use the moisture meter (hygrometer) to get accurate data.
When the temperature reaches 40-50 °C
Turnover the rice bran mixture evenly so that the temperature does not rise further and also in order to prevent moist clusters.
If the temperature is below 40 °C,
The mixture may be in an anaerobic condition due to the excessive moisture.
If the temperature rises up above 70 °C,
Proteins may be broken down by thermophilic microbes and nutrients released into the air resulting in loss of fertilizer effect.
Turn over the rice bran mixture in order to control temperature. It takes about 7 days for this process.
Cultivation speed can vary depending on the outside temperature, but it usually takes 5-7 days for the surface to be covered with whitish IMO spores.
When the temperature stops rising the fermentation process is finished and you have IMO3.
Chris Trump - IMO #3 with Chris Trump. Natural Farming on our farm.
Storing IMO 3
Keep the IMO 3 bags in shaded and cool place.
Make sure that the air is well circulated by keeping IMO-3 in a ventilated container such as jute / gunny / cloth bags.
Spread rice straw or leaf litter at the bottom of the container,
Place in IMO-3.
During storage, the IMO-3 may become dry (moisture level 20-30%) as the moisture gets evaporated.
It means that the IMO had entered a state of dormancy.
Pile up containers into 3 layers and shield them from direct sunlight and rain.
At this point, there is no need to turn over, because of the convection currents that are created through the gaps of containers.
Can be stored for 6 months to a year.
Credits
Chris Trump
https://rooftopecology.wordpress.com
http://www.cgnfindia.com/imos.html
http://www.kswcd.org/conference/Dr Hoon Park III - Indigenous Microorganism(IMO).pdf
The School of Life
The Revivalists
Natural Farming Inputs
Introduction to Natural Farming
LAB - Lactic Acid Bacteria
FPJ - Fermented plant juice
Seawater, Fermented Seawater, Bio Mineral Water
Vinegar
OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrient
WCA - Water Soluble Calcium
WCAP - Water Soluble Calcium Phosphate
FFJ - Fermented Fruit Juice
FAA - Fish Amino Acids
S.E.S. - Seed and Seedling Treatment
IMO to IMO2
IMO 3
IMO 4 & Liquid IMO
IMO 5
~ A Proud Cultural Healing and Life Compilation